Russian literature is something I’m slowly trying to read more of, and I’m so glad I put this book on the list. While I think a lot of the referencesRussian literature is something I’m slowly trying to read more of, and I’m so glad I put this book on the list. While I think a lot of the references ultimately went over my head due to the fact that I was not born and raised in Soviet Moscow, I still found this book to be amazingly intelligent and entertaining, with lots of great humor throughout. My favorite parts were the chapters set in ancient Jerusalem, retelling the crucifixion of Jesus under Pontius Pilate from the Bible - but in a way that connected to the story in contemporary Moscow as well, where Woland (the devil) and his demonic companions are wreaking havoc. Definitely a book you just have to commit to the weirdness of, but also one of my favorite reads from this year!...more

Hilariously this book was recommended to me by a teacher in high school who said, “I can’t recommend this to you” and gave me a copy. Listen, I totallHilariously this book was recommended to me by a teacher in high school who said, “I can’t recommend this to you” and gave me a copy. Listen, I totally hear the people who are anti-Lolita, but I love this book. Always remember that you can enjoy fiction with things that you would never support in real life. Anyway, this is a slow read but is filled with some of the most beautiful lines I’ve ever read in literature. It’s painful, complex, tragic, and gorgeous - love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight. One of my favorite classics and always firmly in my top ten. ...more